UPI transactions will be rejected from February for these users
What's the story
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a directive that will affect Unified Payment Interface (UPI) transactions from February 1, 2025. As part of this new rule, any UPI transaction performed through an app that employs special characters in its transaction ID will be rejected by the central system. This change is part of NPCI's efforts to standardize UPI transaction ID generation across all payment ecosystem players.
Compliance requirement
NPCI urges apps to use alphanumeric characters
The NPCI has clarified that all UPI payment apps must start using alphanumeric characters for transaction IDs. If they fail to comply with this directive, the central system will disallow any UPI transactions from non-compliant apps. The onus of adhering to this new rule falls on the payment app itself, ensuring a smooth transition for users and maintaining the integrity of their transactions.
Information
NPCI's past directives on UPI transactions
In a circular dated March 28, 2024, the NPCI had earlier issued directions for compliance to UPI technical specifications. These included maintaining a consistent length of transaction IDs and avoiding duplicate transaction IDs. The latest directive is viewed as a continuation of these efforts.